


Something Worth Losing

by AnteBellis



Series: A World Without Us: A Sylgard Fanfic Collection [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Kissing, References to Depression, Romantic Fluff, Suggestive Themes, Sylvain Week (Fire Emblem)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:00:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23036689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnteBellis/pseuds/AnteBellis
Summary: For #SylvainWeek2020Day 5 - DanceIn which Sylvain and Edelgard find comfort in each other's company and the promise of a shared path to a better tomorrow.The beginning of more works that are a part of my greater Sylgard agenda.---
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Sylvain Jose Gautier/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Series: A World Without Us: A Sylgard Fanfic Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1655593
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45
Collections: Sylvain Week 2020!





	Something Worth Losing

Sylvain had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If the Adrestian Heir declined his request, if she rejected him flatly, even if she ridiculed him loudly in front of their classmates, none would be surprised to see him chase after a pretty girl and fail. He had done it so many times with so many pretty girls. 

But if she said yes..

If she said yes, everything would change. He could feel it in his heart instead of where he usually felt things. 

She had saved him already, the night after he had been forced to kill Miklan, his own brother driven to desperation solely by his own birth. She had shown him that there was a world where no one would ever have to suffer as he or Miklan had. A lifeline thrown to a man that didn't deserve one. 

“If you won't live for yourself, then live for me and the world I will forge.”

Yes, she had saved him, but he hoped maybe he could save her too. He had seen the sad, distant look in her eyes. The look of someone who had since resigned themselves to sacrifice all of themself for something great. The eyes of someone who had sacrificed far more than her share already.

Maybe he could bring her some small joy or comfort without asking her to sacrifice anything more. 

\---

Edelgard found herself alone at the desk in her room, the paper doing little to muffle the sound of the quill passing over the desk. Occasional flickers in the candlelight teased at times passing while a draft or the wake of her movement would sometimes throw the shadows into an uproar behind her. She had no particular fear of the dark, but those long flickering shadows disquieted her. As she was contemplating things going bump in the dark, one started banging on her door. She let out a surprised yelp before swallowing it and getting up to answer the door. 

As she opened the door, she saw one of Sylvains signature goofy grins waiting for her as he leaned on her door frame like an operatic caricature of himself. He began talking in a similarly over the top tone.

“What was that cute yelp for, princess?” 

Edelgard sighed before opening her door fully, a decision she knew was probably a mistake. She spoke wearily, completely ignoring his attempted flirting. 

“What do you want Sylvain?” 

Sylvain’s easy smile was unphased by her response. It never was. It was infuriating sometimes, but she much preferred him like this to how she had seen him that night. The easy smile parted for his next line. 

“Do I really need an excuse to visit a girl as beautiful as you? I am but a helpless moth to your flame, Lady Edelgard” 

He finishes his statement with a flourished bow. She considers slamming the door on his head, then thinks better of the damage his hard skull could cause. 

Sylvain saw the irritation on her face and decided it was time to stop with the teasing. He doesn't rise from his bow and speaks again, his tone is noticeably more serious.

“Lady Edelgard, would you do me the great honor of accompanying me to the Garreg Mach Ball.” 

The ball… Now that had not been what she had been expecting. Or even a subject she had given much thought to. Such events were usually little more than political theater for her. A messenger from Enbarr would arrive at the monastery the day before the event. She would probably be instructed to share a dance with the heirs of the kingdom and alliance as a show of continental stability. Her and Ferdinand would probably be told to enter arm-in-arm as a show of imperial solidarity. She would smile, she would dance, and she would be their miserable puppet for a little bit longer yet. 

Her silence made Sylvain nervous so he straightened from his bow and offered her an out. 

“Unless you were planning to go with someone else! I'm sure many eligible suitors are vying to have you on their arm” 

In truth, no one else had asked her. No one likely would. She had a rather intimidating reputation and little interest in idle flirting. Sylvain had a reputation as well though. 

“And how many girls’ doors have you knocked on asking this same question before reaching mine, Sylvain?”

Sylvain stood calmly under her withering gaze because for once the truth was on his side. 

“You are my first and only stop, Lady Edelgard.” 

His voice sounded sincere and honest. It sounded almost wrong coming from that same easy smile. His tone hadn't sounded that way since that night. With the connection, she immediately grew suspicious. Her voice was suddenly almost chilling. 

“You don't owe me anything Sylvain. I am glad that you are alive. I hope one day you will consider helping me. But until that time comes, you can go to the dance with as many girls on your arms as you wish. It is no concern of mine” 

She moved to start closing the door, but his hand stopped it and her breath. She hadn't expected that. What was he planning to do..

“That's bullshit Edie” 

She was stunned by his tone, stunned by his sudden change in demeanor, and stunned by him calling her Edie. The shock manifested as her standing frozen as he continued. 

“I owe you everything. I owe you more than that. And when your dream finally comes true, all of Fodlan will owe you that same debt. And it's one that I -- that we -- will never be able to pay.”

She had never heard him talk like this. He was being passionate and direct and she could see a fire inside him that mirrored her own cindered heart. It was strangely mesmerizing. 

“You've sacrificed enough. Though I'd like to know, I can't even guess what or how much yet, but I can see how high the price is in the shadows behind your eyes. Maybe I'll fight and die beside you and pay a price worthy of your cause one day, but for now I can't offer anything so meaningful. I can offer you one night of not being used. One night of not being puppeted and paraded around. Hell, maybe one night of fun for once in your life.” 

The weight in his stance shifted and his hand slid from the door. Her shock wore off enough to realize how perfectly he had described the way she felt about events such as these. And how blindingly sincere he was. The easy smile returned to his face once more, though his voice still had a slight edge to it. 

“If you don't want that or don't want that from me, I'll never say another word about it. It won't impact my belief in you or your cause one bit.”

He placed his hands behind his neck and leaned into them, his joviality returning in force. 

“I'm…. REALLY hoping you'll say yes though” 

She could merely shake her head at him. He was a bundle of contradictions that she had to admit she was more than a little curious about unpackaging. Her hand moved to the bridge of her nose. She was going to have a headache. She spoke wearily in his direction, matter-of-factly. 

“Meet me at the dorm stairs at 8. If you flirt with anyone else before then, Hubert WILL kill you.” 

She closed the door without waiting for his response and slid down with her back against it. What had she gotten herself into?

\---

Edelgard looked through her closet. She felt so.. normal.. for once. A normal girl, fretting over a normal date. That had to be what this was, right? Could it be anything else if she was standing here throwing clothes around her room like the normal girls in the books she read only in the privacy of her own room. The books that she hid under her pillows so even Hubert wouldn't see. 

This was silly. She was soon to be the Emperor, what business did she have acting like a love struck teenager. How could she be going on a date with _Sylvain_? Dorothea would never let her hear the end of it. She would have to give Hubert specific orders to not murder him on the spot. But she had been blinded by his unexpected sincerity and was legitimately curious what he had planned for this evening. 

She finally grabbed a dress that she didn't immediately feel an urge to catapult across the room and decided this was the best she was going to do. She pulled on the dress and examined herself in the mirror. She didn't own anything truly scandalous, but the dress did cut low on her back and high on her leg. She would pull on tights to cover her scars of course, but the fact she had chosen it said a lot about her mental state. The dress neckline ended just below her collarbone and the sleeves went all the way down her arms covering more of her scars. she reached for her gloves instinctively and briefly thought of how it would feel to hold his hand without them. She questioned what spell he had cast on her while angrily donning the gloves. 

She finished her preparations and realized that she was already a few minutes late for their appointed meeting time. She was so rarely late that the realization threw her into a flurry that ended in her rushing out the door. 

The quick movement through the door ended in her running directly into something hard. It wasn't the door. She had certainly opened that and there was no way she had traveled the full width of the hallway yet. As her body recoiled from the impact, two hands caught her shoulders and steadied her. She looked up to see Sylvain looking down at her in surprise. 

“Oh goddess! Are you ok Edie?” 

She realized that the hard thing she had run into had been Sylvains body. He didn't show off, but he was surely in excellent shape. In her moment of surprise, Sylvain remembered his formality. 

“My apologies, Lady Edelgard. You were late to our meeting place so I wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

He rubbed the back of his head, his easy smile filling his face. 

“Though if you were hurt now, it would probably be my fault” 

Then he properly looked at her. He looked shocked. Edelgard responded nervously, examining herself. 

“W-what is the matter? Is my hair askew? Is there something on my face? A-am I bleeding from somewhere?”

Sylvain blinked once, twice, three times to focus himself and pay attention to what she had said. 

“Oh! No! Nothing like that. it's just..”

A light flush spread across his face as he scratched his cheek and looked away from her. 

“You just look… really beautiful tonight. Stunningly beautiful. Not that you don't normally look beautiful! But goddess, my life will be in danger from every man in there when I walk in with you on my arm.” 

His earnest praise reddens her own cheeks causing her to look away herself. At that moment she realized she hadn't properly looked at him since they had collided. Her blush grew worse. He cleaned up quite well. Better than any of the marriage prospects she had accompanied to events such as this in the past. He truly was a handsome man when he wasn't talking like a fool. Sylvain broke their collective embarrassment when he realized they were already running late. He presented the crook of his elbow towards her and smiled at her. 

“Shall we make our grand entrance, Lady Edelgard?” 

Edelgard smiled while placing her arm through his. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.

\---

Sylvain hadn't lied about their reception. As they entered the ball, the combination of their slight tardiness, impeccable appearance, and strange pairing had all eyes in the academy on them. Despite his frivolous nature, he was the picture of courtly elegance tonight, each step and movement demonstrating his own good rearing and angled and framed to show off the beautiful princess on his arm. She had been paraded around quite a bit in her lifetime, but for some reason the thought of _him_ wanting to show her off was completely different. 

As they reached the base of the staircase, Sylvain winked at her before blocking her advance. In turning his body toward her, her hand now rested gently in his. He bowed politely and kissed her hand. Another gesture that drew a blush from her that never had from anyone else. When he looked up to her, he smiled, and in his most well mannered voice implored her. 

“Lady Edelgard, would you bestow on me the honor of a lifetime, and share this dance with me.”

She covered her mouth as she couldn't contain a modest giggle over his flowery speech. She nodded her head squeezing his hand gently.

“Of course Lord Gautier, I would be honored” 

He also giggled at the overly formal language, as she continued. 

“On the condition that we stop using this ridiculous language between the two of us so we can make an attempt at some fun like I was promised.”

Sylvain looks contemplative for a moment before an easy grind spreads across his face. 

“Of course Edie, whatever will make you happy” 

Seeing no objection, to the address or the promise, he raised her hand in his and gently kissed it again as they closed with the dance floor. An old-timey Adrestian waltz she recognized was playing. If she recalled this was…

Sylvain completed her thought at a frighteningly opportune moment. 

“‘On a Field of Flowers We Promise Forever’, the Adrestian Waltz your parents danced to when they attended this same ball when they were around our age.” 

She looks up at him, shocked in earnest that he knew that and that somehow, this ancient, not much liked song was just beginning to play as they approached the dance floor. Before she could question him, he looked away while scratching his cheek nervously. His nervous tone betrayed that he felt a modicum of guilt. 

“Ferdinand owed me a favor so I asked him if he might know a song you'd like to dance to. He told the story of your parent’s whirlwind romance in literally painful detail and about the first song they danced to together.I was kinda hoping to give you a similar experience. It was not hard to convince the conductor once I said ‘Lady Edelgard, would like to request this song for her first dance of the evening.’” 

Edelgard blushed furiously and looked down at her feet. Sylvain noticed her looking away and got worried. 

“Sorry, this was probably weird and out of line. I'll go tell the conductor to move on to the next score.” 

Sylvain began to move, but Edelgard reached out and grabbed his hand and turned him towards her. Her expression was impassable as she held his hand and gazed at him. Finally, she pulled down on his hand so she could kiss him on the cheek. She broke the kiss, her face close to his and treasonously red.

“Sylvain Jose Gautier, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

She gazed into his eyes a few seconds longer before breaking eye contact and beginning to pull him towards the dance floor. Her voice traveled over her shoulder to him. 

“Now, come on! Let's enjoy the fruits of your labors”

And with that every eye in the room was on the Adrestian Heiress and her partner, the Young Lord Gautier. All eyes including theirs. Because the two dancing elegantly to the anachronistic waltz only had eyes for each other. 

\---

Edelgard was sitting on a stone bench in the monastery courtyard. She shivered slightly in the cold night as she waited for Sylvain to return. The environment had grown stifling for her inside and Sylvain agreed, stating: 

“True, and besides, the best part of going to a party is getting to sneak out.”

She had been instructed to sit on the bench and that he would be back shortly. And so she sat. It really was quite chilly though. With that thought, something large and warm surrounded her. She was startled before realizing Sylvain had placed his dinner jacket on her shoulder. He sat close next to her on the bench and spoke softly to her. 

“Sorry Edie, I didn't know you got cold that easy. I'll remember next time. Is that warm enough?”

She nodded her hands pulling the jacket closer to her chest. Her cheeks were faintly rosie from the cold and hid how much she liked that the jacket smelled like him. She rested her head against his arm gently as he continued. 

“Warm enough for a short walk? I kind of have a surprise for you nearby. Or I could carry you there if you'd like.” 

Edelgard shook her head red and embarrassed, half declining and half shaking the thought free. Sylvain of course noticed, and continued. 

“I don't know princess, your face is a little red. Wouldn't like to have rumors of you contracting _exposure_ due to me.” 

Edelgard responded by hiding her face in the borrowed jacket. This surrounded her more deeply in the smell of him, but mercifully hid her complexion from the blush elicited. 

With her hiding her sitting on the bench hiding her face, Sylvain couldn't stop thinking about how overwhelmingly adorable she was. Comically out of his league. Probably going to get him killed. But adorable enough to make facing all that an easy choice. He pulled a blanket from the basket he had retrieved before hanging the basket over his wrist. With her still hiding her face, it was all too easy to wrap her in the blanket and scoop her small form into his arms. She squirmed a little, but calmed when she found herself staring up at his face. Edelgard cleared her throat as if demanding an explanation. Sylvain settled for the truth. 

“You looked cold and it's a little bit of a walk in heels.” she looked satisfied with his answer “And you were too cute and I couldn't resist wrapping you up in my arms” She hit him lightly on the chest, but the smile didn't leave her face. 

Syvain began walking, supporting her weight easily. It was a little embarrassing, but the blanket offered her enough plausible deniability to just enjoy the sensation and the warmth of their short outdoor journey. 

They took more turns than she could count and ended up in a part of the monastery she didn't recognize. and then further, into a part she really didn't recognize. Finally she was placed gently on the ground, or rather on a patch of ground covered with another blanket. She could see the clear starry sky, including the constellations representing the Crest of Seiros and Crest of Gautier. She'd never thought of how close they were in the sky. Cosmically distant, but closer than you'd expect. The poetry of that now was not lost on her. 

She saw an open field in front of her and grew confused. The monastery was built on a mountain. There were few, if any, passages that would open onto a plain like this. In answer Sylvain sat next to her. She instinctively leaned into him and he wrapped his arm around her while speaking a few enigmatic words: “What do you think?”

“The view is beautiful Sylvain, but where are we?”

Sylvain had a look of pride and satisfaction on his face which bled into his voice. 

“I would be more than happy to tell you Edie, but first, refreshments.”

With her in close under his left arm, he reached with his right into the basket, now on the blanket next to him, and retrieved two metal cylinders: one squat and shallow and one long, like some sort of thermos. her guess for the second proved accurate as he removed the the lid and passed it to her with steam flowing from the opening. Then he opened the other container and placed it on the blanket in front of her. He started with the explanation of the refreshments. 

“Hresvelg blend tea, just like you like it, 1 cream and 3 sugars and your favorite flavor of sweet buns” 

Edelgard was honestly a little scared. How did he know her favorite things this well. Was he a spy of some sort? He continued, seeing the obvious panic on her face. 

“Sorry! I know it's a little creepy, I just wanted to do something special for you. Professor told me which sweet bun you always ate last and Mercie helped me make them. I asked Lorenz to teach me how to brew tea and he mostly succeeded. Hubert understood my intentions from my actions and told me how you like your tea. That guy is scary smart”

She was stunned. No one had ever worked that hard just to do a little thing that would make her happy. She took a bite of the sweet bun and then washed it down with the tea. They weren't perfect, but from him, here, like this? She couldn't ask for anything more. But he wasn't content with just that. 

“That's only the first part of the surprise though.” He smiled contentedly at her and observed her reactions as he took a sip of the tea himself. “This is a path into the heart of the monastery, from the low plains outside. No guards or bridges to contend with. I was scouting around to find something useful and ended up here.” 

She locked eyes with her as she ate and drank in silence. 

“I wanted to do something useful for you. I wanted to be someone who kept you sane and made you smile, but I also wanted to be an asset to you.” 

He turned his body to face her as she swallowed.

“Edelgard, you’re incredible. You're going to change this world forever. I can’t claim to be anywhere near as important. But I can care for and support you until we can see that world you promised me together. This is the part where I confess my love and you tell me we can't think about things like that until this struggle is over. And you're right. But I just ask that you keep me by your side until that day. I'll make myself useful in combat and strategy, I learned more than I'll admit in school here and I would be honored to wield it in your name. But I also intend to take you on little excursions and getaways like this, I intend to guard not just your body and goals with my life, but also your heart and your health. And maybe one day--”

He had more, but Edelgard figured she should put him out of his misery. She gently kissed his lips, silencing him. When they broke apart, both their faces were red. Edelgard spoke first. 

“I-I want you by my side Sylvain. I don't know what that will mean yet, but I will wield your strength and let my heart find refuge near yours as long as we have each other.”

Sylvain for once in his life was speechless. He kissed her again and held her head to his chest. 

Sylvain had something to lose now, but he would gladly risk it every day for a chance to claim it forever.

\----


End file.
